Ministry of Health releases statement concerning investigation of clinical trials
From the Ministry of Health and Social Services
The following is a statement from the office of the chief medical director:
It has been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Health that certain clinical trials were being conducted in the Federation, with the support of Southern Illinois University in the United States of America (USA).
The Ministry of Health states categorically that neither the Cabinet, the Ministry of Health, the office of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) nor the St. Kitts and Nevis Medical Board has ever been approached on this project. By extension, none of these agencies has approved such a venture. As a result, an active investigation has commenced into this project.
The Ministry of Health will always ensure that all research involving human participants follow[s] international standards which protect the safety and security of persons involved. In order to help fulfil this mandate, the Chief Medical Officer convened an Interim Ethics Review Committee (IERC) to vet all medical research protocols in the Federation in keeping with international best practices. The role of the IERC is to ensure that the basic ethical principles and guidelines that govern the conduct of research involving human beings are maintained at all times.1
An update will be provided to the public once the investigations by the Ministry of National Security have been concluded.
August 30, 2017
1 For example: The Belmont Report of 1979
